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Side trip from Geneva

I luckily have a business trip coming up to Geneva in the last week of April. Afterwards, during the first week of May, i'm planning to take a few extra days (3-5) for a personal trip somewhere nearby. I'm trying to decide where to go and looking for advice.

I'll be flying in and out of Geneva, so my destination will have to be within a few hours by train, I'd guess, so I can get back to the airport fairly easily.

I'm 27, male, traveling alone. I'd like somewhere scenic and relaxing, but still with at least a bit of activity, restaurants and nightlife. Not a huge adventurer, so I'll mainly be walking, reading, eating, drinking, relaxing, etc.

A friend suggested Interlaken, and another suggested Lake Maggiore in Italy. Thoughts? Other suggestions?

For the Switzerland of your dreams - the picture of Switzerland perhaps etched in your mind's eye - of glacier-girdled peaks rising above lush cow-dotted meadows yes the Interlaken-Jungfrau Region IMO is the highpoint for the Switzerland most people dream of seeing.

4 days there would be perfect - you not only have the majestic peaks but boat trips on both lakes bookending Interlaken - and staying in a mountain town like Grindelwald (great for your age - lots of younger skiiers/hikers coming thru) you will be right at the foot of the soaring peaks - all kinds of hiking for all abilities available - toylike trains and thrilling aerial chairlifts going everywhere.

If going by train from Geneva strongly look at the 4-consecutive-day Swiss Pass that covers not only trains but lake boats, postal buses as well - very useful in the Jungfrau Region, covering trains in full to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, etc. And of course from Geneva.

One way from the Lake Geneva area take the famous Golden Pass scenic train via Montreux to Interlaken-Ost, jumping off point for trains to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen-Wengen. This route takes a bit longer than the direct mainline route via Bern but is much more scenic - there is the official Golden Pass train with commentary and observation/panoramic cars or you can take regular trains though that would take a bit longer due to those trains stopping more.

Montreux is fine in May. And the mountains above Montreux are full of flowering wild narcissus flowers (roughly between May 1st and May 20th); you can walk through them during hours, for example from Les Avants up to Chatel St. Denis or Les Paccots.
For a glacier experience, go by Golden Pass train from Montreux up to Gstaad, by bus to Col du Pillon and by gondola to Glacier des Diablerets. You may go back to Montreux via Les Diablerets Vilage and the vineyards of Aigle (another scenic small train).http://www.glacier3000.ch/en/index.cfm

I've been spending two weeks in Montreux most years (skipped it last year), so I would naturally say that's a great idea. Here are some things you can do there/from there:

Explore the old town in the hills above the lake, where no tourists go; enjoy the views over the lake and town from the terrace of the church, then continue on up to Glion using the staircase. Enjoy a drink or meal at the terrace of the Hotel Victoria, with views all the way to France.

Explore the vineyard town of Lutry, then walk through the vineyards of the Lavaux to Cully (about 2h) or Rivaz (about 3h).

Make sure you spend at least half a day in Vevey, exploring the tangled streets and boutiques of its old town, next to the lake.

See the pretty village of Morges (on the other side of Lausanne); there is supposed to be a nice walk to Lausanne along the lake that takes 3h, but I haven't taken it yet. You could rent a bike and do this on bike.

As neckervd says, you could explore Gstaad, or other lesser-known, lovely towns like Rougemont or Chateau d'Oex. Explore Gruyeres and its castle and medieval street. Walk from Gruyeres to Bulle (I think this takes about 3h).

There are many other walks in the smaller mountains above the lake, like the Chemin Narcisses or the Chemin Panoramic. My favorite walk in the area is from Montreux to Villeneuve at the lakeside, passing Chillon along the way. This takes about 90 minutes.

If you'd like to go there and want more or more specific information, just post again!

One short train trip I've done and a heck of a scenic one it was is to from Montreux take the Golden Pass train route (not the official GP but regular trains up the mountain looming high above Montreux - get off at the top and have a view over Lake Geneva - I walked back down part way thru the vineyards on lanes - with the lake in full view the whole way.

As a base of operations, how would you compare Montreux to Interlaken? My sense is that Montreux is a bit more lively and cosmopolitan, while Interlaken might be a bit sleepy and too-quaint if I'm not looking for skiing, etc.

Well, Montreux sits in the French part of the country; its architecture resembles the French Riviera, and in fact it is called the Swiss Riviera. The cuisine is French, and most interiors follow Art Deco or Belle Epoque styling. Yes, it is pretty lively, with lots of cafes and shops, and I always characterize it as a cafe society. Of course, there is a lot of music, influenced by the annual Jazz Fest and musicians hanging out there, and there are a lot of hotel schools, with the young, international students looking to party in their off hours.

The mountains behind Montreux are not very high, and they don't have that Swiss-chalet feeling. Well, Gstaad and Rougemont do, and it's about 2h away.

Interlaken is more of a tourist hub for people to make excursions into the mountains, which are a further 2h away. It has lots of souvenir stores and restaurants. It's absolutely mobbed in the summertime with tour busses, but in April it won't be that bad . . . because there aren't a lot of tourists flocking to the mountains in April. The Alps have had a bad snow year, so there probably isn't any snow left in town, and the skiing may already be over. They always keep some walking trails cleared of snow in the winter, so you should be able to enjoy some walks in the mountains.

In addition to the walking, you can visit the villages of Wengen and Mürren, visit Thun and its castle, take a cruise on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, etc.

I like Annecy a whole lot and life across the border is much cheaper (not cheap!) than expensive Switzerland but I think IME there is a lot more varied things to see and do in and around Vevey/Montreux - Annecy may be just as nice a town but doe snot offer the sheer number of neat day trip possibilities like those which have been described above.